Micheal Haley was recalled by the Sharks on Thursday morning but coach Pete DeBoer wasn’t saying whether the rugged winger would be in the lineup for that night’s game against the Edmonton Oilers.

Haley’s presence would seem to be an indication the Sharks wanted to add some muscle for their first meeting with the Oilers since defenseman Darnell Nurse delivered a series of right hands to the head of Sharks defenseman Roman Polak on March 8.

DeBoer, though, said Haley’s recall was more because they needed an extra forward since Matt Nieto is out for another three-to-four weeks with a broken knuckle in his right hand.

“Hales has been our guy called up here for the last two months when we needed a guy,” DeBoer said, “and we need 13 forwards.”

Although DeBoer wasn’t tipping his hand, Haley came off the ice with other forwards who are expected to dress for Thursday’s game. Dainius Zubrus stayed out late with Nieto and Matt Tennyson, players who will be scratched.

“I don’t think it’ll change from any other time I’m here,” said Haley, who has 31 penalty minutes in 10 games with the Sharks, including five fighting majors. “It just so happens that I’ve fought every other game, so it’s part of my role. If it happens, it happens. If not, just keep playing.”

Nurse came after Polak for what he perceived to be a dirty hit on Matt Hendricks, who had slid heavily into the boards earlier in the period after a race to the puck with Polak. Nurse thought Polak caused the crash, but Polak said and replays showed that he did not make contact with Hendricks.

Nurse broke and bloodied Polak’s nose, but the San Jose blueliner was otherwise OK.

“We had a 20-year-old that felt he needed to stand up for a teammate,” Oilers coach Todd McLellan said Thursday. “His perception or a read on a play was wrong. He crossed the line, he stood up, he served his suspension. That’s where we’re at.

“We’ve come to play hockey. I think the ball is in their court. They have playoffs coming and they get to dictate how the game goes.”

The Sharks have said publicly they weren’t planning to seek retribution on Nurse as they try to clinch a playoff spot and chase down Los Angeles for first place in the Pacific Division.

Nurse said he wasn’t expecting anything, but that he’ll deal with whatever comes.

“It was a heat of the moment thing,” Nurse said. “Obviously, you don’t want to ever see guys hurt. I probably crossed the line, but it’s over now. … Both teams are looking for wins, so looking forward to just going out there and playing.”

Nurse and Haley, of course, won’t be the only players on the ice that have some scraps on their resume. Brenden Dillon and Tommy Wingels each have three this season. For Edmonton, Hendricks has eight.

“They have a few guys that play a rough game, but I don’t think it’s going to change my style of play,” Haley said. “And I don’t think it’s going to change the mindset of the boys here. We’re going to go out and play our game and hopefully get a win. If anything else happens, then, that’s hockey.”